How The Division Is Separating Itself from Destiny
By Riley Little 26 January 2016
We chatted with Julian Gerighty, the associate creative director for The Division, about similarities being drawn between the game and the blockbuster Destiny.
Now that Ubisoft’s The Division is firmly on the horizon – and the recent closed beta only just shuttering this past week – gamers have started getting excited for the third-person shooter. Taking place in New York City following the outbreak of a biological terrorist attack, the game looks to blend its post-apocalpytpic aesthetic quite well with its multiplayer core. Of course, the multiplayer aspect of the title has already drawn comparisons from players about similarities to Bungie’s popular first-person shooter, Destiny.
With a focus on squads, boss battles, and loot mechanics, it was inevitable that gamers from all walks would note some similarities between the two titles. Fortunately, during a recent trip to New York City, I was given the opportunity to speak with the associate creative director on The Division, Julian Gerighty, about what he thought of the dots gamers were connecting between his project and Destiny. Evidently, he sees quite a few things that separate the two.
GR: There have been a lot of parallels drawn between The Division and Destiny. What do you think about that?
“It’s hard for me to talk about Destiny, obviously, but thinking about the qualities of The Division: contemporary; virus-ridden real-world city; open-world game. There are a lot of differences that make it stand out, so I think it’s a modern game in the way that it’s a very co-operative focussed experience. Progression is extremely important. So I would say that they are both very modern and different games.”
It’s evident in these comments that Gerighty sees a lot of difference located primarily in the setting and narrative of The Division, and he makes mention of the open-world aspect of the game as well. Still, the loot-gathering premise of Ubisoft’s newest IP does seem to share similarities, although that’s far from a bad thing. In fact, if the community takes to the new title’s grinding premise then it could be one of its largest strengths – which would be great for the French developer given the recent backlash Bungie has faced from its community.
Of course, as one of the biggest games in recent memory to build its entire premise on shooting and looting, comparisons were sure to be made between the pair. Fortunately, based on my hands-on time with the title leading up to and after the interview (as well our own thoughts on the closed beta), it’s safe to say that they are two very different beasts.
Did you see similarities between The Division and Destiny? Get at us in the comments.
The Division will arrive for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 8, 2016.
